Dark Light (HIM album)

Dark Light
Studio album by HIM
Released 23 September 2005 (Germany)
26 September 2005 (International)
27 September 2005 (United States)
Recorded Paramour Studios, Los Angeles, USA
Genre Rock
Length 45:30
Label Sire
Producer Tim Palmer
HIM chronology

And Love Said No: The Greatest Hits 1997–2004
(2004)		 Dark Light
(2005)		 Uneasy Listening Vol. 1
(2006)
Alternative Cover
iTunes Cover
Singles from Dark Light
  1. "Wings of a Butterfly"
    Released: 9 May 2005
  2. "Vampire Heart"
    Released: 11 April 2005
  3. "Killing Loneliness"
    Released: 2 January 2006
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Sputnikmusic [1]
TheMusicZine [2]
Uncut Magazine [3]

Dark Light is the fifth studio album by the Finnish band, HIM. This album was released on 26 September 2005 internationally and on 27 September 2005 in the USA with a limited edition pre-release of 20,000 some days before.

Overview

The album was released in stores, with a glossy black plastic wrap covering the front, so in order to see the real cover, one needed to purchase it. This album was originally supposed to be produced and mixed by Andy Wallace, an accomplished American producer, but vocalist Ville Valo said he made HIM sound too "American" and they fired him, hiring Tim Palmer with whom they had worked before on Love Metal and And Love Said No. The first single released from the album was "Wings of a Butterfly," and the second single was "Killing Loneliness." The album charted at #18 in both the U.S. and in the UK. In Germany, Dark Light reached #4 .

The Special Digibook Edition was limited to 50,000 copies. The Heartagram Internet Edition was limited to 20,000 copies and came in a tin case with a 24-page booklet with handwritten lyrics by the band's lead singer, Ville Valo, a certificate of authenticity and a keychain laser pen that shines the Heartagram, the band's logo.

Dark Light was the first Finnish album to sell gold in the United States, meaning it has sold over 500,000 copies in the U.S., and 1,500,000 copies worldwide. The album peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200.[4]It was rated #9 in Metal Hammer's albums of the decade .

Sounds and Themes

The writing of Dark Light was inspired by a Finnish book with the same title and a collection of ancient mythologies and religions (mainly Christianity). Songs including mythological references are "Wings of a Butterfly," "Venus (In Our Blood)," "Drunk on Shadows," and "In the Nightside of Eden." "Wings of a Butterfly" is a reference to a Greek myth in which two souls destroyed something beautiful to live forever, and "Venus (In Our Blood)" has the line "Venus denies your seven towers," referring to another Greek myth portraying hell as seven towers protruding from dark waters. In the song "In the Nightside of Eden," there is a line, "we descend to the circle number four," a reference to The Divine Comedy's adaptation of hell, an adaptation that many mistake for an actual part of the Bible.

Several of the songs include Easter eggs. In the exclusive bonus track "Venus (In Our Blood)," there is a little girl's voice speaking at the beginning, and in reverse the little girl says "Where are we going, Daddy?" There is backmasked voice at the end of "In the Nightside of Eden" and "Behind the Crimson Door," continuing their trend, has a whispering voice at the bridge of the song.

The album has been described as "[H.I.M.'s] pristine washes of keyboards sound dangerously sunny on the sparkling "Wings of a Butterfly," while the gorgeously romantic title track wouldn't sound out of place on an old episode of Buffy. Glossy and user-friendly, H.I.M. are the gentler (if not kinder) side of devil worship"[5]

Track listing

All songs are composed by Ville Valo except where noted,

No. Title Length
1. "Vampire Heart"   4:46
2. "Rip Out the Wings of a Butterfly"   3:30
3. "Under the Rose"   4:50
4. "Killing Loneliness"   4:29
5. "Dark Light"   4:31
6. "Behind the Crimson Door"   4:37
7. "The Face of God"   4:36
8. "Drunk on Shadows"   3:49
9. "Play Dead"   4:36
10. "In the Nightside of Eden"   5:40
Total length:
 45:44

Personnel

HIM

Technical Staff

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (2005) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[6] 40
Austria (O3 Austria Top 40)[7] 4
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 42
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[9] 91
Canada (Billboard) 24
Czech Republic (IFPI Czech) 13
Finland (IFPI Finland)[10] 1
France (SNEP)[11] 155
Germany (Media Control Charts) 4
Greece (IFPI Greece)[12] 3
Hungary (Mahasz) 15
Ireland (IRMA) 19
Italy (FIMI)[13] 10
Japan (Oricon) 56
Netherlands (MegaCharts)[14] 25
Norway (VG-lista)[15] 13
Portugal (AFP)[16] 27
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[17] 10
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 7
Switzerland (IFPI)[19] 8
UK Albums (The Official Charts Company) 18
US Billboard 200[20] 18

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[21] Platinum 38,720[21]
Germany (BVMI)[22] Gold 100,000^
Greece (IFPI Greece)[23] Gold 10,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[24] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[25] Gold 500,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/6552/HIM-Dark-Light/
  2. ↑ TheMusicZine review
  3. ↑ http://www.musicfolio.com/modernrock/him.html
  4. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/artist/him-mn0000577091/awards
  5. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/dark-light-mw0000655920
  6. ↑ Steffen Hung. "HIM - Dark Light". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  7. ↑ Steffen Hung. "HIM - Dark Light". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  8. ↑ "HIM - Dark Light". ultratop.be. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  9. ↑ "HIM - Dark Light". ultratop.be. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  10. ↑ Steffen Hung. "HIM - Dark Light". finnishcharts.com. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  11. ↑ Steffen Hung. "HIM - Dark Light". lescharts.com. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  12. ↑ "Internet Archive Wayback Machine". Web.archive.org. 2005-10-21. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  13. ↑ Steffen Hung. "HIM - Dark Light". italiancharts.com. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  14. ↑ Steffen Hung. "HIM - Dark Light". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  15. ↑ Steffen Hung. "HIM - Dark Light". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  16. ↑ Steffen Hung. "HIM - Dark Light". portuguesecharts.com. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  17. ↑ Steffen Hung. "HIM - Dark Light". spanishcharts.com. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  18. ↑ Steffen Hung. "HIM - Dark Light". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  19. ↑ Steffen Hung. "HIM - Dark Light". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  20. ↑ http://www.billboard.com/artist/276322/him/chart
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 The first web page presents the sales figures, the second presents the certification limits:
  22. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (HIM; 'Dark Light')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  23. ↑ "Greek album certifications – HIM – Dark Light" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. October 28, 2005. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  24. ↑ "British album certifications – HIM – Dark Light". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 28, 2011. Enter Dark Light in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
  25. ↑ "American album certifications – HIM – Dark Light". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 28, 2011. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH